"I think when he steps into that locker room, everyone's going to know that he's there to help us win games. And that's why you're in the NFL, to help us win games. No one cares if you're black, white, straight, gay, Christian, Jewish, whatever it may be. When you step on that field you're a member of in my case, the 49ers. Or the Carolina Panthers. That's your job. That's your occupation."

Responding to the video, Fox host Brian Kilmeade on Monday blasted the victims of domestic violence, criticizing Palmer (now Janay Rice) and other women who don’t break up with their partner after a domestic violence incident, saying they send a “terrible message.”

Kilmeade then proceeded to provide mocking advice to Palmer, quipping, “I think the message is, take the stairs.” Co-host Steve Doocey gamely joined in, “The message is, when you’re in an elevator, there’s a camera.”

Today, Fox & Friends responded to the backlash by stating, “Comments that were made during this story made some feel like we are taking the situation too lightly. We are not, we were not. Domestic violence is a very serious issue to us, I can assure you.”

Gay rights group Stonewall is teaming up with football stars from across the UK for another year of Rainbow Laces - a campaign to show support for LGB players and fans.

Said Stonewall [via video description]:

We've teamed up with Paddy Power, Arsenal, The Gay Football Supporters Network and loads more to send Rainbow Laces to every professional football player and club in Britain. We're asking players to wear the laces during the weekend of 13/14 September to show their support for kicking homophobia out of the beautiful game.

Check out the campaign's video featuring a few of the UK's hunky athletes, AFTER THE JUMP...

Michael Sam will wear No. 46 with the Dallas Cowboys. That number happens to be the year the Rams signed the NFL's first black players, Kenny Washington and Woody Strode. It's also the year Jackie Robinson and John Wright broke Major League Baseball's color barrier when they reported to the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm team, the Montreal Royals. Robinson took the field for the Dodgers the following year, in 1947.

Watch a video of Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett speaking with reporters about Texas' newest Cowboy, AFTER THE JUMP...

The Dallas Cowboys have officially signed Michael Sam to their practice squad, ESPN reports:

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is expected to announce the signing Wednesday at his press conference at 11:30 a.m. ET.

With a definite need for pass-rush help, the Cowboys are bringing in Sam, who had three sacks in the preseason for the St. Louis Rams, for an extended look to see if last year's co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year at Missouri can potentially help a defensive line that needs help.

Sam was among final group of players released last weekend by the Rams and went unclaimed off waivers. The Cowboys brought the defensive end in for a physical, and now will see what he can provide.

NFL.com adds that Sam is expected to practice today. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport also commented that, "joining the Cowboys is a much better opportunity in his quest to see meaningful NFL snaps. The Cowboys don't have near the depth on their defensive line when compared to the St. Louis Rams, who cut Sam last weekend."

It was only yesterday that the Cowboys announced they were interested in bringing Sam on-board pending his physical and outreach to team members "to gauge reaction to making Sam a Cowboy."